Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-17
HOW BILL NYE WORKS,



Popular Funny Men of the bay.
TX. Marvel says: "A man asks Inc Ia
write something; he might as well ask
the skies to rain Bill Nyc says: If you
want me Ia write just tell me to write
something and then let me alone
He generally keeps "A supply Of some
twenty subjects pretty well in hand that
can be written up on short notice. He
keeps "A note book just like the rest, a
literary rag bag into which lots and lot :,
E"es in. and nothing was ever yet known
I" come ont" lie thinks there is fortune
IN store for the man who invests manu-
scripts with some property like magnet
that by passing them over the rubbish of
note book Will attract to themselves
jaSt what belongs.
He cannot write ''in ORDER He has
attempted a few tircs To write by meas
ure, SO many words, so much pay, such a
length, such - subject. why, you might
as well pack me down into my trundlc
bed and tell me to sleep. l can feel the
cramp in my limbs yet" He cannot
even write under headings. as his subject,
like stick i'll water, is apt 10 turn all
sorts of crooks and elbows before he gets
to the bottom.
One 81 The Worlds staff brought him
Il piece Of his manuscript the other day,
his thumb resting on Il spot Of il that was
bursting with laughter ''For heavens
sake, Bill, how did you ever get this
turn on that Did you sit down in cold
blood and manufacture it. or did il come
on Won all of suddens'' The pen was
half through the joke before saw it,"
said he.
He never rewrites an article by any
chance, often interlines. crosses ont or
doubles up, but the copy goes to the of
flee just that WAY. 1t all comes Just
about as he wants il, faster than he can
write IL. He sometimes has to stop TO
spear a word which is careening about in
vacancy. but never All expression. He
must finish one article while in that par
ticular mood. 1t is useless TO try 10 re-
call IL III any particular shape il inter
rupted, and he has lost much valuable
matter in this way. He intends making
study of more continued writing, but
breads the attempt.
On his first writing he used high desk.
but later on. finding that height abso-
iutely necessary To composition dcliber-
ately broke himself of the habit by writ
ing on his knee, which now constitutes
his desk on all ordinary occasions. He
uses a little pencil. likes "A very fine pen
point He makes the finest copy of any
writer he knows except one lie hates
proof reading. and says Il man has to suf-
fer So little nowadays by mistakes. owing
TO the excellent proof work done by the
newspapers, that he had much rather suf-
fer that little" than read the proof So
long"
Much greater facility has come to him
by practice. Also he has Consciousness
that there is a marked improvement in
the pith and finish Of his work In this
he is supported hy the opinions Of his best
friends who are always prompt To give
helpful criticism" and by the distaste he
now has for his earlier efforts. some OF
which are quite unpalatable to him now
He has no fear whatever Of running OUT
or becoming stale, as he does not claim to
create only TO cloihe old subjects OF liv-
ing interest in new form, and this car
walk side by side with humanity just a.
long as it or he lives. He has written In
all only about twelve years.
He gives his best mind work to his
every day friends, saving nothing because
il is more valuable written. Before writ
ing he was an iuimitablc story teller and
joke maker Of that delicious type that
shows the fun only with his eyes The
only reason that he is less humorous now
in conversation than in his writing is on
the principle Of turning over on the
other side to rest a weary muscle" The
humorist, rs the comedian, must turn to
the grave for relaNation.-Fannie Ed
gar Thomas in Inter Ocean.